


What Sebastian Learned That Night

by into_the_abyss



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Rare Pairings, Tanakabastian - Freeform, Tanakabastian Takeover, Tanakabastian Takeover Day 2k15
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-15
Updated: 2015-06-15
Packaged: 2018-04-04 13:09:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4138773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/into_the_abyss/pseuds/into_the_abyss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sebastian Michaelis has just started his new contract with Ciel Phantomhive.  Everything is bad enough as it is...until the elderly butler, Tanaka, comes back to live in the Phantomhive Manor, and makes life hard for Sebastian.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Sebastian Learned That Night

Night settled over the Phantomhive manor like a silent black cloak. Sebastian opened the door to his room sank into his chair, and sighed. The past two weeks of his new job had been exhausting. Not only had the Young Master caused him more than enough trouble during the day, but he also saw fit to wake up each night screaming in terror, which required his presence in the room until the frail ten-year-old fell back to sleep.

And now the manor had yet another dependent under his charge: the tottering, elderly former butler of the estate had now come home from his residence at a local convalescent home. Sebastian welcomed the old man into the manor with a typical ingratiating smile, but as soon as the tottering old fool made his way up the stairs and into his old room, Sebastian's smile had faded to a look of gloomy annoyance.

Would there be yet another useless, incompetent servant in this house before long?

That had been two weeks ago. And Sebastian would've preferred that old man to have stayed in his room, recuperating. For now that he had strengthened under Sebastian's cooking and doting, the old man saw fit to follow him about and spout words of unwarranted advice in his ear as he went about his day.

"Back in my day, son," was how it usually started.

As Sebastian was putting Ciel to bed:

"Back in my day son," Tanaka said from the doorway, a mug of tea clothed in his hands, "I would never let the Young Master have that much honey in his tea. Ho ho ho." Then he would turn and totter away before Sebastian could give him a piece of his mind.

In the morning: "Back in my day, son, I would iron the newspaper so my master would not get ink on his fingers. Ho ho ho." Runs away. He moved pretty fast for an old man. Sebastian went to chase him down the hallway, but he was gone by the time he made it through the door.

At lunch: "Back in my day, son, I would never spoil my master with such rich food. Ho ho ho!" Runs away. Again.

As if that weren't enough, then the Young Master had to join in on the annoyance:

"When Tanaka took care of me..."

"You know, Sebastian, Tanaka was better at...."

"Maybe you should sit down and have Tanaka explain to you how to do it properly..."

"Sebastian, this is an order: get a notebook and take notes whenever Tanaka says something...." He was sure that last one was just to annoy him and served no purpose.

And so by the end of the week Sebastian had an entire journal filled with Tanaka's criticisms, "back in my day's" and "ho ho ho's" and the only comfort he had was in imagining slipping his glove off, putting his fingers to a flame, and lighting that journal and the entire mansion on fire. Small comfort to a poor, put-upon demon.

And on and on. All day, every day. Sebastian thought of ways to make the unwanted advice stop. Perhaps a little sachet of arsenic in his tea would do the trick. An elbow to his back when the old man was at the top of a staircase. A pillow over his face when he slept. If only there was more time in his day to come up with more ways to get rid of that old nuisance.

One night Sebastian sat up at his desk, the little notebook off to the side. He could practically hear the "ho ho ho" of the old man just looking at that notebook. He sighed and opened it. This contract was quite troublesome, so why not be a complete glutton for punishment? In those quiet hours, he would often be reminded of just how dull his long existence as a demon could be. Perhaps this little journal would pass the time and bring him some amusement.

He opened up to the first page and looked down at his own elegant handwriting:

"A butler should make sure his master returns to a perfect situation. Ho ho ho!"

I suppose that is good advice, Sebastian mused.

"A butler isn't allowed to die before his master."

Dying would be one way out of this misery of a contract, however...

"Back in my day, son, I would never put so much honey in the Young Master's tea. Cavities will only cause you more trouble! Ho ho ho!"

That wasn't an entirely bad point. More trouble is not what he was here for.

"Son, it doesn't matter where you are from, but please take care of the young master."

Sebastian's face darkened. What fools these humans are. Not caring about the identity of who takes care of their weakest, youngest members...

 _It doesn't matter._ It mattered quite a bit, he thought. But even so, this old man wanted the Young Master to be taken care of more than anything. What an odd thing loyalty is, Sebastian mused, to make one so blind. What must it be like to be responsible for a child's life, to be the one person in the world to protect and guide them?

Sebastian turned the page.

"Son, it's your most important job to prepare the Young Master for the evils of society."

"Hmph," Sebastian said, "as if that is the job of a butler." And yet...he had never had so much responsibility over another human life in his long life as a demon.

Suddenly something flicked at the edge of his consciousness, like the stuttering of a candle flame. He closed the journal and stood up with a start. Another nightmare.

He grabbed his coat from the back of his chair and made it to the Young Master's room in the blink of an eye.

Only to find him sleeping soundly.

He silently closed the door and turned. What had he sensed? He had thought it was a ripple in someone's mind, like the terror of a nightmare, or...

Or the stuttering of an elderly heart.

He ran down the hall, not knowing quite why, and knocked on Tanaka's door.

"Mr. Tanaka?"

There was nothing in response but a muffled cry.

He turned the knob and burst into the room, only to find Tanaka clutching his chest, his arm reached out to whomever could grasp it.

The old man's unfocused eyes searched the room. "Vincent?" he gasped.

"No. It's Sebastian. The new butler--"

Tanaka grabbed his hand. "Son, I fear it might be my heart," he said, squeezing Sebastian's hand until even the demon found it uncomfortable.

Would he finally be rid of the old man?

Tanaka's eyes focused briefly on Sebastian's. "Sebastian. You have to promise me one thing," he said weakly.

"Yes?"

"You must take care of the Young Master for as long as you are able. His life ahead of him will not be easy. He needs someone to guide him."

Should he bother telling the old man the truth?

"I'm not sure you understand, Mr. Tanaka, about the Young Master and I..."

The grip tightened. Tanaka looked up at Sebastian with a patient smile. "I may have been hard on you when you first arrived, but that is just my way, but you're a good man for what you're doing for the Young Master, Mr. Sebastian. Don't let anyone tell you any differently."

Sebastian's eyes widened. A good man?

He wasn't sure what to say.

"Mr. Tanaka, your words are too much for a mere humble butler to bear. I am nothing but a butler to the core." He smiled, and placed his other hand over the old man's. Something inside of him softened and his own words surprised him, "Shall I fetch a doctor?"

A bit of warmth came to the old man's fingers. "It was just a passing flutter," the old man said, his voice strengthening, "I think if I rest, I shall be fine."

He withdrew his hand from Sebastian's and reached up and patted the demon on his arm, "I meant what I said, though," he said with a faint smile, "you're a delightful young man. The Young Master is lucky to have you."

"I am glad to have crossed paths with the Young Master." Sebastian smiled and gave a little bow. "And with you, too, Mr. Tanaka. I thank you for your words of wisdom these past few weeks. I now see the wisdom behind them."

Tanaka smiled. "I am a strict teacher. But what an earnest student you are, to be writing down my every word! Now that I know you appreciate my tutelage I shall have to give you even more advice to take notes on. Ho ho ho!"

Sebastian's smile faded. "Well, you see, Mr. Tanaka, that was not quite my idea--"

"Nonsense, Mr. Sebastian. I know when I am being appreciated. No need for you to be shy about it." He winked and patted Sebastian's arm.

When Sebastian left the room, he closed the door behind him and leaned against it, rubbing his temple.

No soul was worth all this. And yet...

Sebastian smiled. And yet he found it all amusing. Very amusing indeed.


End file.
